RELAXING SUMMER DAY
by eseldie
Summary: Chance and Ilsa have a normal day.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.**

Ilsa walked out of her penthouse and down to the car. The driver opened the door and she got in. She was going to take Chance to lunch today and possibly enjoy a nice summer afternoon. They had just finished a particularly rough case that left them all ready for a break. As the car made its way through traffic she peered out of the window. There were families walking through town and enjoying the day. It tugged at her heart just a bit. She had always seen herself as a mother someday. Having a family to take out on a day like this. The dream came to an abrupt end when the driver opened the door.

Chance was sweating…hard. He was in the middle of his fourth set of pull-ups. Last Christmas, he had decided to gift himself a state of the art exercise machine. It had everything possible attached to it that allowed a full workout. He furrowed his brow and asked himself quietly why he kept putting his body through the torture of saving peoples' lives. The truth was that he loved the art of survival and helping others do the same. As he pulled his body up, sweat continued to form. Three more reps to go, he thought.

Ilsa stepped onto the elevator and pushed the button. When she reached the top and stepped out, there wasn't anyone around. She could hear the faint sound of music coming from the loft. She hung her coat on the rack and proceeded to the stairs. At the top of the stairs, the sight before her made her freeze. There was Chance, in the middle of doing pull-ups. The position of the machine placed his back towards her. With the music playing, he had no idea a visitor was present.

She stared intently at him. His shoulder muscles were contracting in every direction. His outstretched arms made the pull-ups much more difficult. Since they were more difficult, his muscles worked harder. She had never seen much of his legs since they met. But today he was wearing a pair of nicely fitting shorts. She couldn't decide whether or not his arms or legs drove her slightly insane. His calves tightened every time he raised himself up.

Now…a respectable woman would have stopped gazing after the first few minutes. Ilsa was respectable, but considering she was a partner in this new foundation….she had special privileges. She finally picked her jaw up from the floor and walked over to the radio and switched it off. Chance kept on with his pull-ups. Little did she know, his assassin instinct knew she was there before she hit the first step.

After the last pull-up, he dropped down and turned. "Ilsa? What are you doing here?"

She knew she should have left when she first laid eyes on him. No shirt and sweat was driving her slightly overboard.

"I just came to see if you wanted to join me for lunch."

Chance grabbed a towel from the machine and wiped his face. "Sure. I just have one more set to go."

She wanted to tell him no and leave that very moment. But her greedy female mind won out. "Sure thing."

When Chance turned around, he smiled. He was already done but he wanted to tease her. This time, the exercise was slow and deliberate. He made it seem like an eternity. When he was done he finished wiping the sweat from his body. That was slow and deliberate too. He walked over to her.

"Let me grab a shower. Ill just be a minute."

She missed half of his sentence because she was too busy looking at him. He smelled just as good as he looked. Between his natural man scent and the sweat, she wanted to bury herself in his chest.

"You okay Ilsa?"

She shook herself back to reality. "I'm fine, go and shower."

He walked towards the bathroom. Before he disappeared completely, he turned around and raised his arms to flex his muscles.

"Looking pretty good huh?" He smiled knowing it drove her nuts. He turned and went to shower.

Ilsa sat down on the couch and closed her eyes. If she had zero decency, she would have just torn his pants off of him and went primal. But she decided she would play his game.

Chance finished showering and came out. "Let's boogie."

She got up and looked into his eyes. "Just remember what you did today."

He smiled something cunning. "I was just showing my progress."

She gave him a scolding look. "Let's go."

He couldn't help but smile when he followed her down to the elevator.

They walked outside to Ilsa's car and got in.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"I didn't have any place in mind."

After a few minutes in the car Chance looked outside. "Driver..stop. We'll walk from here." He smiled. "Lets go for a stroll."

She just shrugged. "Sure, if that's what you would like."

He got out of the car and extended his hand to her. Once they were out, he still held on. They made their way over to the sidewalk and started walking. Suddenly, Chance's eyes lit up. "Hey look there's lunch!" He pointed to the hotdog stand a block away.

"Mr. Chance, I was thinking of something a little less messy."

"Come on Ilsa!"

She couldn't fight his boyish grin. She figured…when in Rome. He ordered them both a hotdog with everything on top. Ilsa was afraid to attempt a bite. She watched as Chance began to devour his. With a mouthful of hotdog he looked at her.

"Try it!"

She inhaled and took a bite. To her surprise, it was delicious. Her mouth was covered with mustard and bits of onion. Chance laughed at her and gave a mischievous grin.

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't have a free hand to wipe it off."

He kept grinning. Without hesitation, he leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth. He made sure to get the mustard and onion while he was there. It made her shudder.

"All clean."

They finished their lunch and continued walking. "Hey Ilsa, you know the carnival is in town? Lets go down there."

She was once again finding it hard to deny him. They admired the people that were enjoying the gorgeous summer day. The carnival was just up ahead. There were parents and children scurrying to get there.

"You know Mr. Chance, if you stopped getting shot at and jumping out of buildings...you could do something like that."

He thought about it for a minute. "I think I would be totally fine taking junior on a mission. Gotta start em young."

She laughed. "You would!"

Chance smiled at her. "I don't know if I would be normal if I stopped protecting people. It is pretty exciting."

She looked up at him. "Dangerous is more like it."

"Danger tends to follow me. Not sure if I am talented enough to change a diaper and protect a gorgeous woman."

Ilsa smiled at his comment. Somehow, she could see him being a wonderful father. They approached the carnival and he practically drug her to the entrance.

"I haven't been to one of these in forever!"

Chance ran her crazy. He wanted to play every game and ride every ride. After about an hour passed, she finally slowed him down. "Mr. Chance! Okay lets take a break!. How about a game?"

Chance decided he would let her relax some. "Okay…oooo look a shooting game…I might be able to win you something." He wiggled his brows at her and led her over.

The carnival worked looked at them. "Hey there young man...wanna win your lady a cute teddy bear?"

Chance shook his head, and accepted the little rifle. His large hands dwarfed it. "Now watch Mrs. Pucci and learn from a pro."

He leaned down and caulked the rifle. Within a matter of seconds he crack shot the five targets that were set before him.

The carnival worker looked stunned. "Wow mister. How the hell did you do that?"

He just looked at him. "Guess I'm just lucky."

Ilsa shook her head. The man could have hit the targets with his eyes closed from a mile away. But it was about impressing her. Like anything else he did.

"Well little lady what's it gonna be?" She pointed to the obnoxious pink teddy bear with a red bow around its neck. The man pulled it down and handed it to her.

She looked at Chance. "Thank you."

He put his arm around her and they started walking again. "Well I think I ran you crazy today. How about we end it with a ride on the merry-go-round?"

She looked over at the ride. "Sure…though I have never been on one."

Chance stopped them both. "What? You have never been on a merry-go round?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

"Well madam…lets go!"

They waited in line for the ride to board. When Ilsa stepped up, she was amazed at how old the horses were, yet elegant at the same time. She walked half way around until she spotted one. It was white, with a red saddle. Its eyes were a gorgeous orange color and underneath of the saddle was an ice blue blanket. The color of Chance's eyes. He helped her on and she settled in. "You aren't riding?"

Chance put his arm around her waist. "Nope… I want to watch you. You look pretty happy."

The ride started and the horse slowly rose up and down in a rhythmic motion. Her face lit up in delight. She was amazed at how something so simple could make her smile.

"Like it?"

She shook her head.

After the ride finished he looked at her. "Wanna go again?"

She smiled again. "I do yes."

They waited for the ride to load. A mother was chasing her small daughter around the horses. She couldn't decide which one she wanted to ride. When the little girl passed Chance, she tripped and fell. He bent down to help her up. Most girls that age would have cried, but not her. She was resilient. He imagined she would grow up to be like Ilsa. Strong and stable.

The mother thanked him and helped her daughter on the horse in front of them. Ilsa had watched the entire event occur before her and it made her heart skip a beat. Here was a man that could move mountains and save lives, and in the next instance help a child up from a fall. The mother and daughter were joined moments later by the woman's husband. It was a perfect picture.

The ride started again and this time, Chance tightened his hold on her waist. He had a feeling that it made her a little sad. She was married to a man who she thought loved her, and that she would spend the rest of her life with. Maybe even start a family. But now that wasn't going to happen.

When the ride ended, he helped her down. "Well I must say Mr. Chance, this was an absolutely wonderful day. And I was supposed to just treat you to lunch."

"It's ok, I'm glad you had a good time."

The sun was setting in the distance. Ilsa phoned for her car. They walked hand and hand for some time relaxing.

"Ilsa?" She looked up at him. "Are you ok with what you're doing right now? In terms of work with us and all."

Ilsa thought about it before she answered. "I can't say I really have an opinion. Its definitely different."

"You would tell me..or us…if it wasn't?"

She shook her head. "…what are you getting at?"

"Nothing… I just want to make sure you're happy. That's all."

"I don't know that I would be having this much adventure if I were anywhere else. To answer your question, I am fine being here…with the team..and you." She looked into his eyes and raised her arms around his neck. She pulled him in and covered his lips. He squeezed his arms around her waist and melted into her embrace.

"By the way, I still owe you for that little exercise stunt you pulled."

He smiled. "Not now mam…the car is here."

They walked to the car and got in. "You can drop Mrs. Pucci off first."

By the time they got a few miles down the road, they hit traffic. The nice summer days still couldn't keep the tourists out of the city. Ilsa released a long yawn. "Oh excuse me."

Chance padded the seat. "C'mere."

She closed the space between them. He turned his body so she could fully lay in his arms. She squeezed the teddy bear and closed her eyes. He leaned down and kissed her hair and inhaled deeply then closed his eyes as well.

When they got back to her penthouse, Chance woke up. Ilsa was exhausted from their outing and was still asleep. He gently woke her. "Ilsa…Ilsa…wake up..you're home."

She sat up and stretched. Chance helped her out and walked her to her door. "I hope you had a good time."

She smiled. "I had a wonderful day. I guess I still owe you lunch."

"Ill hold you to that." This time is was Chance that leaned in for a kiss. They lingered together for a few minutes enjoying each other's lips. He brought his hands up to tangle in her hair. It felt wonderful. Even with the teddy bear in her hand, she managed to caress up and down his arms.

She finally broke the kiss. "Stay."

That's all he needed to hear. They had spent nights together before, but only when they asked each other. They respected boundaries and privacy. Of course, the sleepovers were becoming more frequent.

Ilsa turned around and opened the door. She walked in and placed the teddy bear on the table. Chance walked over the fridge and opened it.

"Didn't you get enough food today?" He managed to find some sort of leftover and was digging through it.

With a mouthful he looked up. "That was just a light meal."

She looked at the plate of food. "Is that even good? What is it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Tastes ok to me."

"Well when you are done I will be upstairs."

Chance finished the food and walked up the stairs. He didn't immediately see Ilsa and looked around for her. He could hear the faint sounds of her shower running. He walked into the bathroom and could see her silhouette through the glass. As always he respected her. But this time he got the want to spend time a bit closer to.

He got undressed and opened the shower door. When he stepped in, she was in the middle of washing her hair. He leaned against her back and whispered into her ear. "Let me."

She lowered her hands and let him take over. He gently massaged his fingers into the lather. She had her eyes closed and was enjoying the moment. When he was finished, she turned and let the water rinse her hair. Chance picked up the washcloth and soap. He lathered it and turned her back around. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this relaxed. His hands were soft and sensual running over her body. Deep down, she knew he could have seduced her at any point. He kissed up and down her neck and shoulders. She rotated her head around for him to gain more access. When he was finally done, he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed under the spray of the water for what seemed like an eternity. Neither of them wanted to leave.

After awhile she turned in his arms and kissed him. "I think it's time for bed."

He nodded and turned the water off. Chance stepped out and grabbed a towel for himself and her robe.

Ilsa walked out to her bedroom and put on her pajamas. When Chance came out he looked around. "This is the only clothing I have."

She looked him up and down. "Well then I guess you're sleeping on the couch my friend."

He crossed his arms in mock argument style. "Maybe I can go and sleep at the neighbors then."

"I'm sure Mrs. Penny would enjoy your company. I think she turned ninety last week."

He just glared at her

"She might rock your world Mr. Chance. I'm just making a point."

With that he turned and walked over to the bed. He pulled his towel off in a way that is didn't allow her to see anything. He curled his lower lips and looked at her.

"Oh Mr. Chance, don't pout."

Ilsa walked over to the other side of the bed and took off her robe. She slid into bed beside him and reached over.

"Are you done pouting?" Deep down, she enjoyed seeing it.

He rolled and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll think about getting over it. I might have to call your neighbor after all."

Ilsa chuckled and moved closer into his embrace. He kissed her slowly and with patience. He wanted it to last forever. But he knew she was tired.

"Alright woman, turn around so I can hold you."

She gave him a quick kiss and turned around. He immediately embraced her and placed his chin on her head. Even though Chance was completely nude, she was comfortable. It wasn't about sex that night. They just wanted to be with each other. In each other's arms after a relaxing summer day.


End file.
